1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a conference apparatus and a conference system, and more particularly to a conference apparatus and a conference system having a shared board function and an image recording function.
2. Related Background Art
For recording the proceedings of a video conference, there have been utilized the methods of (1) video recording the image and voice of a monitor, (2) storing or printing the information written on a shared board, by an operation of the user, and (3) video recording the image and voice of the counterpart of the conference.
However, the recorded result obtained in such conventional recording methods has only limited value for re-utilization. More specifically, in method (1), in which the content of the conference is stored in the form of video information, it is difficult to utilize the proceedings of the conference for example in a computer by extracting the written information on the board and storing it in a file.
In method (2), in reviewing afterwards the stored written information on the shared board, it is difficult to trace the proceeding of the conference and the discussion at the conference, such as the explanation on the written information, cannot be obtained.
In method (3), it is impossible to exactly comprehend the proceeding of the conference from the reproduced video information, as the written information on the shared board is not available.
Also these methods, even if used in combination, are still inconvenient because the different recording means are not mutually linked. For example, in the combination of methods (2) and (3), it is still difficult to comprehend the proceedings of the conference by reviewing the video information in combination with the written information on the board, because the correlation thereof in time is not available and has to be supplemented by human memory.